Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafioli has opened up about his return to Roma amid his recent struggle for a consistent starting place under manager Mikel Arteta.
The Italy international, who attracted attention from Bologna and joined the Gunners last summer, admitted he feels he has “unfinished business” in the Italian capital.
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Riccardo Calafioli hints at leaving Arsenal
Speaking on Alessandro Cattelan’s Supernova Podcast (via CalcioMercato), the 23-year-old spoke candidly about his emotional attachment to his boyhood club.
Calafioli flourished at Roma, but his spell there was cut short by a series of loans and a permanent move to Basel in 2022.
“I would like to return to Roma one day. Of course I can’t plan my career now, but I think so,” he said.
“Also partly because I left it in the middle. Everything started very well. I scored goals and had a chance to play a little bit more. Then, for various reasons, I went out on loan at first, but then they sold me.”
Calafiori has brought down Arsenal’s hierarchy.
The admission comes at a sensitive time for Calafioli at Emirates.
Despite making an “exceptional” start to the 2025-26 season with his versatility in Arteta’s inverted system, the defender has found himself on the periphery of the starting XI of late.
The arrival of Pierro Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen has intensified competition for the left-sided defensive position.
Additionally, a series of fitness setbacks, including a back injury in February, disrupted Calafioli’s rhythm.
He has started 17 games in the Premier League this season, but has continued to come on as a substitute in recent high-profile games against Manchester United and Tottenham.
Arsenal currently lead the title race by five points, with Arteta preferring the defensive solidity of Gabriel and William Saliba, often using Julian Timber or Hincapie in the hybrid role that Calafiori was originally signed for.
Arsenal are aiming to turn Hincapie’s loan spell into a permanent deal, with the Italian defender likely to leave in the summer.
